Tuesday, December 22, 2009

"I came from a good family although my parents divorced when I was 16. I always felt a void in my life just like most teenagers do. I decided to turn to try filling that emptiness with drugs.

I had my first child when I was 20By the time my girls were 3 and 5 years old, I had started using meth.years old. By the time my girls were 3 and 5 years old, I had started using meth. First I was snorting, smoking and finally shooting it in my arms. As a child I hated getting shots or blood drawn, but by this time I was allowing someone or myself to stick a needle in my arm.

When I began doing meth, I stayed up for about 4 days. I cleaned the floors on my hands and knees with a toothbrush. I cooked a lot of food, but would not eat. I tried to iron my curtains and I didn't know how to iron. I took my kids to soccer -- I felt like super mom.

When it wore off, I was so tired and sick and I had an intense craving for more. I went behind my husbands back to make contact with dealers to do my own supply, without anybody knowing it.

I got sneaky and very greedy. I kept running out of money and dope, so I started pawning stuff out of my house, and taking my kids piggy bank money that grandparents"The authorities knew I was on meth because of the circle of people I ran with."and people had given them. Then I started selling dope to supply my habit. People would hear I could get good dope, so I would take their money, buy a lot and give them a little out of it and sometimes I would just sell them cooked down cold pills.

My drug problem got worse and worse.

I lost so much weight, I looked like walking bones -- like death. My family and friends started noticing the weight loss and how bad I was looking so I started staying in my bedroom and covering up the windows. I was afraid of the police or strangers looking in at me.

Through these times I stayed in my bedroom and only came out occasionally to check on the kids. Sometimes I would stay up so many days and nights when I finally crashed out asleep, I slept for a couple of days or more. When I got up and I would be so tired, sick and craving more that I was useless to myself or anyone else.

Teachers at school I kept running out of money and dope, so I started pawning stuff out of my house, and taking my kids'piggy bank money... began to notice signs: The kids would be late to school, or I would be late picking them up or they wouldn't be there at all.

As my kids got older they began making excuses for me. They would tell people I was sick a lot or make up something else to say. I did not realize what I was doing to them.

By the time they were eight and five years old they were doing their own laundry and cooking their own food. I would come out of the bedroom to check on them ever so often. They were not allowed to stay at friend's houses because I had to have them at home to look out for me. They let me know who was pulling into our driveway every time. There were so many people always coming and going at our house. When my friends came over everyone came in to my bedroom, that's where I was and we got high. When I was coming down, no one could be around me. I was so angry and so mean to everyone.

I didn't evenCharlotte, healthy and happy with her two daughters.like myself. So, if I didn't have meth, I would chase it until I found it.

During this time one of the reasons my daughters were looking out for me was because the police had arrested me for bad checks, a violation of my probation. The authorities knew I was on meth because of the circle of people I ran with. They were always getting me for something, even stuff that dated back as far as eight years (like old tickets) just so they would have a reason to raid my house or to check me for drugs.

I have so many memories now of different times and places I've been, where I could have been killed and I have witnessed lot of bad things. My kids were so afraid. They seen the police arrest me so often they thought the police were the "bad guys". They would scream for them not to arrest me. I have heard them cry, "Please not my mommy," so many times. At the time it didn't affect me, but now it haunts me. They were so terrified and it was my fault."

After reading this with my friend i realized that its the exact situation i was in. Cliffside Malibu was recommended to me from a family member. The proper drug rehabilitation is defiantly the answer. Having such a professional, supportive, caring and professional staff is the answer. Thank you so much as i hope the story above helps others realize that its not simple but their is an answer out there you just have to be willing to have the WANT to change.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Cliffside Malibu is a licensed dual diagnosis residential treatment center where cutting edge, evidence-based psychotherapy and analysis meet world-class drug and alcohol addiction treatment, medically supervised detoxification and holistic medicine. The individualized and specialized approach each person receives who walks through our doors is what makes this Malibu oasis more than just a place of luxury and serenity.

Those suffering with dual diagnosis experience not only the pain of chemical dependency and addiction but also a co-occurring emotional or psychiatric illness such as Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Personality Disorders, Gambling Addiction, Sex Addiction and Eating Disorders, only to name a few. Both illnesses may affect an individual physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually, and each illness has symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to function effectively and relate to themselves and others. Furthermore, with dual diagnosis, not only is the individual affected by two separate illnesses, but also each illness interacts with the other, potentially exacerbating symptoms on each side and predisposing the individual to relapse in each of the illnesses.

At times the symptoms associated with dual diagnosis can overlap and mask each other making diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Cliffside Malibu has created an exceptional team of medical and psychiatric doctors, psychologists, therapists, chemical dependency counselors, spiritual advisors, and fitness and nutrition experts to address the complex physical, emotional/mental and spiritual components of those with a dual diagnosis.

If you or a loved one is in need of immediate treatment for addictions and other problems associated with dual diagnosis, please call Cliffside Malibu today at 1-800-501-1988. Help is a phone call away.

Extensive Dual Diagnosis Intake Process

Upon admission for a dual diagnosis condition, there is an extensive intake process, where information is gathered and the individual is compassionately welcomed into the home. From that point on, they then meet with their primary therapist who serves as a primary source of support and guidance throughout their treatment process, and who formulates an extensive clinical assessment based on the individual’s history, self-report, report from prior professionals and family members (as permitted by the individual) and based on the clinician’s observation and expertise. The individual also meets for an initial dual diagnosis evaluation with the psychiatrist who conducts an extensive psychiatric evaluation with the individual, again based on observation, history, self-report and report from other sources as is permitted.

The clinical team then collaborate throughout the individual’s treatment as the individual’s symptoms are stabilized, engaging in a process of differential diagnosing to methodically separate out the dual disorders and any overlap and exacerbation of co-occurring symptomatology, thereby establishing the most effective and appropriate course of treatment. This, of course, can take time, as a key part of treating dual diagnoses is allowing an individual to safely detox and stabilize before any conclusions are drawn, and the clinical team engages in the intensive assessment process while the person is removed from any external stressors in their life. The symptoms thereby come out in a sober environment and more pure form, allowing for more accurate assessment and diagnosis that ultimately informs the course that treatment takes in all its forms – psychiatrically and therapeutically.

Individual Treatment Plans Developed for our Residents

Therapeutically, we at Cliffside Malibu have created a compassionate, yet intensive environment to address the complexities of those with a dual diagnosis. We do not subscribe to traditional or cookie cutter methods of treating addiction or psychiatric disorders that presume all addiction and disorders can be treated the same, but instead recognize the distinct needs of those in this population and treat them accordingly. We incorporate motivational interviewing to engage the individual who may be in some degree of denial and not yet ready to address all elements of their diagnoses and we assist them in untangling these elements, allowing them to create a greater understanding of what is going on and how to move towards healing and recovery.

Group Therapy and Individual Therapy at Cliffside Malibu

Group therapy sessions for our dual diagnosis residents and our other addiction residents are offered three times per day and are comprised of the following: Experiential, Process, Art Therapy, Topic Groups, Life Assessment, Journaling, Spirituality, Boundary Power, 12 Step, and Relapse Prevention. The group experience can be a powerful vehicle, bringing a population of different cohorts, experiences and cultures together, thereby often creating a parallel process within the group dynamics where family of origin dynamics, life themes and issues underlying addiction and disorders such as depression and anxiety come to the surface allowing for direct intervention, interpretation and integration of the individual’s experience. The group also provides an avenue for individuals to grieve, to find resolve, to connect, and to learn healthy and more adaptive ways to cope versus utilizing previously learned maladaptive and self-harming means of coping.

Topic groups also provide a means to learn and empower oneself with knowledge of addiction, 12 step programs, psychological disorders and dual diagnosis. Furthermore, Individual Therapy is the clinical cornerstone at Cliffside Malibu where the individual meets a psychologist from three times per week to daily. A clinical assessment is created and specific treatment goals are thereby derived to effectively and systematically treat the symptoms, underlying causes, and short and long term goals for the individual within all domains of their life.

The clinical team of doctors and therapists all collaborate closely and continually throughout this dual diagnosis treatment period to be sure to treat the individual according to the intersection of medical and clinical data that are obtained through thorough extensive assessments and evaluations. Individual psychotherapy is then conducted with an integrated approach designed through the information gathered, and consists of a blend of intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavioral modification and systems family therapy, the latter addressing the entire family system and any boundary disturbances and roles that may be contributing to the individual’s dual diagnosis symptomatology.

Furthermore, Cliffside Malibu’s dual diagnosis treatment program offers step down levels of care beginning with primary treatment followed by extended care and then sober living. Each phase is structured according to the needs of the individual and allows for a slight reduction in structure each time and a gradual acclimation back to their life and society while still maintaining a strong focus on their recovery.

Friday, December 11, 2009

I decided to research articles regarding Malibu Rehabs that will best suit my mothers needs and came across this aricle:

At Cliffside Malibu, a person’s drug treatment is chosen based on that individual and by their addiction. What might have helped the previous person might not be the right program for the next. Cliffside Malibu offers short-term stays and long-term residential rehab programs, depending on each person. For some, especially those who have tried other drug treatment centers in the past, a long-term stay is necessary. But what sets Cliffside Malibu apart from those other treatment centers is that from day one, the staff is there to help and to conquer the addiction. Look up cliffsidemalibu.com today to see for yourself how this is the place to beat all odds. There is hope for your loved one; that hope is Cliffside Malibu.

At Cliffside Malibu, not only is a person’s physical addiction treated, but so are their emotional and mental states as well. It’s believed that they all go hand in hand and you cannot fix one without fixing them all. Drug treatment at Cliffside Malibu is based off of individual need. Some people that come to stay at Cliffside Malibu are there to treat multiple addictions and require a longer stay to work out all aspects of their addictions. But, regardless of what a person is there for, the main goal is to become a person once again, living life as it was meant to be lived. And not only does a drug treatment center help the addicted person; it also helps heal the family. A person’s drug addiction is not theirs alone; there are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, girlfriends and boyfriends that become tangled in this web. If you are one of these people, then go to cliffsidemalibu.com and find out how you can help your loved one stop the madness. If you are ready to get off the emotional roller coaster and are ready to help that special someone in your life, then you need to check out cliffsidemalibu.com.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Watching someone with an addiction is very hard to handle, especially when an intervention is being brought up. Sometimes the person who is addicted is in denial or just pure anger. I felt a great way for someone to heal is to talk about it and my Niece agreed with me. When she told me her story i felt it needed to be heard and told to other people as i know so many people that are addicted to Pharmaceutical drugs. Here is her story:

My story began at the age of 13. After being sexually assaulted and having no one to turn to, I walked into a teenage crisis center where I met with a therapist who evaluated me and diagnosed me with PTSD. I was having night terrors and couldn't have a normal relationship with anyone. I acted out, experimented with drugs, and had casual sex with random partners. My mother met with the therapist at the crisis center soon after where they decided to put me on a series of medications for my PTSD and panic attacks. One of them being Xanax. I started with Depakote, Mellaril, and Xanax. They then put me on several different SSRI's (anti depressants) which had no effect. I slipped further into depression and began abusing xanax. First it was just a half a MG a day, then it became 6 MG a day prescribed by a doctor. I was taking 10 MG a day. Even with all of the xanax I abused, I still would seek out people with percocet prescriptions and Vicoden, I'd eat them like candy. It got so bad I sliced my leg open so I could go to the emergency room and get morphine. I stole from my mom to get money for pain pills which I would buy off of the street. At the age of 23 I overdosed on Percocet and had to have my stomach pumped. It didn't stop me. In fact my situation got worse my mom kicked me out, I had nowhere to turn. I began sleeping with men for pills and a place to sleep, putting my life at risk. I wound up sleeping on the street and being picked up by a police officer and brought to my mother’s house. She didn't even recognize me anymore. I didn't recognize myself. I knew I needed help and getting arrested was a godsend. My mom researched different treatment centers and took me to several where they treated me like I was filth. Until I walked into Cliffside Malibu, my life has never been the same. When first approaching me the staff was so caring and understanding. The facility was so comfortable I felt like I was finally home and receiving the treatment that i needed. I had forgotten what it felt like to have people care about me. After the long hard battle of physical addiction passed, my personal therapist at Cliffside Malibu helped me to identify why I needed to feel numb and helped me overcome my emotional addiction. As of now I am in college, have a healthy relationship with my family, and am finally able to cope with what happened to me. I no longer need medication, I currently see a therapist appointed by Cliffside Malibu once a week and I owe my life to them.